X-bit labs

AMD Keeps Up Pumping Chips' Speed, Amid Intel’s Resignation.

Category: CPU

by Anton Shilov

[ 10/16/2004 | 02:36 PM ]

While the industry leader Intel Corp. announced its decision to withdraw its troops from the megahertz battle, its arch-rival Advanced Micro Devices continues to boost performance of its microprocessor bit by bit thanks to increasing core-clocks and cache sizes in an attempt to solidify its leading position on the market of high-end desktops.

The world’s leading chipmaker AMD aims to add two new chips targeted at high-end and performance mainstream desktops on Tuesday, the 19^th of October, 2004, into the lineup, according to a report over CNET News.com web-site. The two processors are expected to be AMD Athlon 64 4000+ and AMD Athlon 64 FX-55 chips with increased core speeds and cache sizes. Both are likely to hit the top spots in benchmarks conducted by various media analysts and considered as peak microprocessors for games and demanding applications.

AMD Athlon 64 4000+ is projected to be clocked at 2.40GHz, contain 1MB of L2 cache and sport dual-channel memory controller, fully copying specs of the currently shipping AMD Athlon 64 FX-53 processor for Socket 939 infrastructure. The FX-55 product will also have dual-channel memory controller, 1MB of L2 cache, but will function at 2.60GHz, bringing new performance heights to Sunnyvale, California-based AMD.

AMD Athlon 64 FX microprocessors are positioned as top-of-the-range offerings from Advanced Micro Devices and are usually opposed to Intel Pentium 4 Extreme Edition processors. While the architecture of the Athlon 64 FX is the same compared to the Athlon 64, e.g. the chips can execute the same software, including 64-bit software, the central processing units feature large 1MB level-two cache and/or higher clock-speeds as well as dual-channel memory controller, bringing some additional speed bumps for the chips that cost approximately $800 today. Typically AMD has only one “FX” part in the lineup: when the FX-55 is released, the FX-53 will be quickly removed from the list of shipping parts.

AMD’s future top chips – the 4000+ and FX-55 – were expected to be made using 130nm process technology, not AMD’s leading edge 90nm fabrication process earlier this year.

Intel Corporation is expected to respond to the new ‘FX’ chip with a new ‘Extreme Edition’ microprocessor clocked at 3.46GHz and featuring 1066MHz Quad Pumped Bus along with 2MB L3 cache. Besides, the company will release a new core-logic that sports the new processors, allowing mainboard makers and system builders to offer top-of-of-the-range “Intel Inside” PCs.

Neither AMD, nor Intel representatives commented on the story.